HOLLEY – The federal Environmental Protection Agency will soon be mobilizing  crews in Holley for phase 2 of the cleanup at the former Diaz Chemical site on Jackson Street.

The EPA has already spent $12.5 million on the cleanup, using money from the Superfund. The EPA has removed buildings, pipes, drums and tanks. Only two warehouses remain from Diaz, which declared bankruptcy and abandoned the site in 2002. The company operated for about 30 years in Holley.

The next phase – thermal treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater at the site – will cost $20 million, the EPA said.

Because there are no viable responsible parties, Superfund covers the costs of the investigation and cleanup of the site, the agency said.

The EPA has been working on cleaning up the site for nearly 20 years.

“EPA has been unable to recover any funds from Diaz as a result of its filing for bankruptcy,” said Mary Gladkowski, spokeswoman for the EPA. “However, EPA has the funding for the entire phase two thermal treatment remedy in place. This phase of the cleanup will be operational by the winter of 2021 and is projected to take four to five years to complete with site restoration to follow.”

With phase 2, the EPA will tackle the contaminated soil on the 5-acre site. The soil poses a threat to the groundwater, EPA officials said.

The dirt can’t simply be carted off the premises until it has been treated to remove the contaminants. The EPA and a contractor will drill 600 wells, spaced about 13 to 15 feet apart, and install an underground system where the soil will be heated up. That will remove below-ground contaminates from soil.

Water vapors also will be collected and treated, and then filtered and discharged into the sewer.

Once the contaminant level drops in the soil, about 100 truckloads are expected to be hauled away to a landfill.

The EPA will have 100 truckloads of clean soil brought to the site. Project managers went over the work with the Holley Village Board last month.

John DiMartino, EPA remedial project manager, and Travis Young, a project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers, said some work could start this month, with contractors drilling test wells and crews starting to mobilize.

This summer soil will be excavated, with drilling and well installation. The first stage of the thermal treatment system will go in next winter through summer 2021. A second stage of drilling and well installation is planned for the spring-summer 2021 with the second stage of the thermal treatment system to be installed from winter 2021 to summer 2022.

A concrete cover is part of the project during the treatment stage. The concrete will be removed once the treatment is done.

The project will be substantially complete in the winter of 2023, according to the EPA timeline. A final layer of topsoil and grass will be added to complete the project.

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Tenants committed for about half of the 41 senior apartments

HOLLEY – The move-in date for the 41 senior apartments at the former Holley High School has been pushed back about a month to mid-March while contractors put the finishing touches on the ambitious project.

Home Leasing in Rochester started construction in November 2018 on a $17 million transformation of the former school, turning it into 41 apartments and the village offices for Holley.

The apartments will include one studio, 35 one-bedrooms, and five two-bedroom apartments. Home Leasing has tenants committed for about half of the apartments so far.

The company will offer tours of the school for community members from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 20. To go on the tour, no RSVPs are needed, but people should sign in that day at the American Legion at 5 Wright St. There will be tours every half hour with the last one at 6 p.m.

Home Leasing is still accepting applications for the apartments. For more information, click here.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Travis Young, a project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers, goes over phase 2 of a remedial action plan at the former Diaz Chemical site in Holley.

HOLLEY – The federal Environmental Protection Agency will have a big presence the next few years in Holley as it works on phase 2 of a cleanup at the former Diaz Chemical site on Jackson Street.

The EPA has already spent $12.5 million at the Superfund Site, removing buildings, pipes, drums and tanks. Only two warehouses remain from Diaz, which declared bankruptcy and abandoned the site in 2002. The company operated for about 30 years in Holley.

The EPA will now tackle the contaminated soil on the 5-acre site. The soil poses a threat to the groundwater, EPA officials said.

The dirt can’t simply be carted off the premises right now. The EPA and a contractor will drill 600 wells, spaced about 13 to 15 feet apart, and install an underground system where the soil will be heated up. That will remove below-ground contaminates from soil.

Water vapors also will be collected and treated, and then filtered and discharged into the sewer.

Once the contaminant level drops in the soil, about 100 truckloads are expected to be hauled away to a landfill.

The EPA will have 100 truckloads of clean soil brought to the site. Project managers went over the work with the Holley Village Board on Tuesday.

John DiMartino, EPA remedial project manager, and Travis Young, a project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers, said some work could start in March, with contractors drilling test wells and crews starting to mobilize.

This summer soil will be excavated, with drilling and well installation. The first stage of the thermal treatment system will go in next winter through summer 2021. A second stage of drilling and well installation is planned for the spring-summer 2021 with the second stage of the thermal treatment system to be installed from winter 2021 to summer 2022.

A concrete cover is part of the project during the treatment stage. The concrete will be removed once the treatment is done.

The project will be substantially complete in the winter of 2023, according to the EPA timeline. A final layer of topsoil and grass will be added to complete the project.

Holley Mayor Brian Sorochty asked the project managers what the land could be used for when the EPA is complete with the 5-acre site.

“I believe we’ll leave you a site that is suitable for commercial development,” DiMartino told Village Board members on Tuesday. “That is the goal. That is the plan.”

The EPA is sensitive to neighbor concerns during the construction and operation of the project. There will be air monitoring on site during the drilling and construction. The contractor on the project also is limited to no more than 75 decibels of noise that can heard by neighbors, although Young said that could be a tough standard to meet when contractors are drilling close to property lines by Jackson Street. If the drilling is a nuisance, the contractor may be asked to try a different drilling technique.

The contractor will drill during regular business hours Monday through Friday, and also was given permission to work on Saturdays. Young said the contractor’s employees will likely be from out of state and they will want that extra work day on most weeks.

The EPA is working with village officials on a preferred truck route. That may be Van Buren Street, rather than the recently repaved Jackson Street.

The EPA said it will do a mailing soon with Holley residents, detailing the project.

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HOLLEY – The Holley Village Board accepted a $2,556,000 construction bid from a contractor on Tuesday to replace sidewalks and water lines in the village. Most of the project is along Route 237 and the northeast section of the village.

Mark Cerrone, Inc. of Niagara Falls submitted the lowest bid for the project. Grants will cover the majority of the costs. Holley is responsible for 20 percent of the sidewalk work and 40 percent of the waterlines. The village will put in some sidewalks and waterlines as part of its share for the project, which has a total cost of about $4.5 million, said Mayor Brian Sorochty.

The village has been approved for a $1,780,000 federal TAP grant (Transportation Alternatives Program) to construct curbs and sidewalks that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The grant will allow the village to replace about one-third of the sidewalks in the village.

That includes sidewalk along Rt. 237 – both north and south of Rt. 31 to the village limits (from the water tower to the elementary school), as well as both sides of Geddes Street from Van Buren to Route 31, both sides of Perry Street, both sides of Morgan Street and the west side of East Avenue.

Holley also was awarded nearly $1.3 million from the state for upgrades to the water system through the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, as well as the Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants Program.

The waterline project includes 5,800 linear feet, just over a mile, and involves replacing 4- to 8-inch water mains with 8- to 12-inch water mains.

That project includes portions of South Main (from the water tower to Batavia Street), South Main from Jackson Street to West Albion Street, water service transfers only along North Main from West Albion Street to the high school, the northerly side of Geddes Street from Van Buren Street to Public Square, along with connections to existing waterlines at ends and side streets.

Cerrone is expected to get started on the project soon and be complete in about a year before the state starts a milling and paving project on Route 237.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Holley celebrated a rededication Mass on Sunday afternoon after about five years of renovations and capital projects at the church.

The interior used to be an ivory white color and now includes stenciling and more colors, which church leaders say better highlights the craftsmanship in the building’s interior, and also adds to the worship experience.

Here is how the sanctuary looked in November 2015 before Swiatek Studios gave the walls a much different look and new carpeting was put down.

The sanctuary was off limits for Mass after Oct. 13 through Jan. 16. During that time, many of the Holley parishioners went to St. Mark’s Church in Kendall, which is included in the same parish.

The wooden pews were taken out of the church during the project, which added a new floor and carpeting, as well as lighting and audio improvements.

The altar includes this triptych mural of three paintings about Christ. The murals are recreations of a 1497 masterpiece by Pietro Perugino. The scene is a visual meditation on the theme of the Crucifixion. Presented in the center panel are the Crucified Christ, Blessed Mother and St John. On the left, St. Jerome the translator with his lion; and on the right, Mary Magdalene with her alabaster jar.

Here is how the altar looked before Swiatek added the ecclesiastical art.

Father John Arogaysami, the church’s pastor the past two years, supported the renovations. His predecessor, Father Mark Noonan, spearheaded the capital projects, which included a new roof on the church.

The Stations of the Cross artwork which previously were at the St. Rocco’s Catholic Church in Hulberton were painted to make the scenes more dramatic.

Dominic Seitmann was among the altar servers for the special Mass that started at 2 p.m. About 200 people attended the event.

Lorraine Pera, a long-time member of the parish, cut the ribbon near the altar to celebrate the conclusion of the project.

Lorraine Pera was led down the aisle by Father John Arogaysami.

Tom Widzinski, project chairman and business administrator for the parish, welcomes the parishioners to the Mass on Sunday. He thanked the parish for supported the project with their donations and for their patience during the work.

The color palette and stylization was heavily influenced by the Leo Frohe-stained glass windows. The windows were made in 1904, when the Medina sandstone church opened. The church is in the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame in Medina.

“You can see that the stencil pattern that runs horizontally between the capitals is quite similar in design to the amber patterns in the upper portion of the windows,” Widzinski said. “If you look up and see the barrel vaulted ceiling ribs adorned with beautiful doily like lace over the subtle color gradations, you will gain a better appreciation of these architectural features.”

Altar servers prepare to lead clergy down the aisle for the Mass.

Sunday’s Mass was a very happy occasion for the parish.

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Photo by Ginny Kropf: Ron Ayrault salutes the American flag after lighting a candle in honor of George L. Fox during the Four Chaplains service on Feb. 3, 2019.

HOLLEY – Veterans and church members will gather at the First Baptist Church in Holley on Sunday to remember four chaplains who gave up their lives to save civilian and military personnel as the SS Dorchester sank on Feb. 3, 1943.

The four chaplains gave up their life jackets when they were none left for others on the ship. The chaplains sang hymns and prayed together as the ship sank.

The local American Legion wants to keep the story of sacrifice alive. Veterans are asked to meet at the church at 9 a.m. on Sunday with the service to follow soon thereafter. The church is at 25 Geddes St.

John Pera, commander of the American Legion in Orleans County, and Ron Ayrault, chaplain for the Legion, will lead the service with will honor the lives of Methodist minister the Reverend George L. Fox, Reform Rabbi Alexander D. Goode (Ph.D.), Roman Catholic priest the Reverend John P. Washington, and Reformed Church in America minister the Reverend Clark V. Poling. All of the chaplains attained the rank of first lieutenant.

The service will include reading the biographies of each of the chaplain, lighting candles, placing wreaths, and playing taps.

The memorial service for the four chaplains will be part of the regular service at church. The service is open to the community.

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Provided photos

HOLLEY – The former St. Mary’s school in Holley on South Main Street is hosting a sale today with proceeds going to the four families affected by a Jan. 5 fire in Holley.

That blaze destroyed a 4,000-square-foot house at the corner of routes 237 and 31. The house had four apartments that were home to 11 residents, including five adults, three elementary school children, a high school senior and a baby.

Heidi Causyn, pictured, IS the lead organizer of today’s benefit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. People are encouraged to bring their own bag. They can fill a grocery size bag and pay $5 for the items. Larger bags – up to 13-gallon garbage bag – that are filled are $10.

The sale also includes blankets, pillows, and baked goods.

“Bigger items that won’t fit in a bag we will make deals on them,” Causyn said.

The community responded in a big way with donations for the sale today, Causyn said.

Causyn also set up a GoFundMe (click here) with the funds to be shared among the four families.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Wayne Krull, a lead motor equipment operator for the Orleans County Department of Public Works, runs an excavator today that took down trees and cleared out thick brush in an original section of the Erie Canal.

This photo was taken in the bottom of the muddy ditch that was the original Erie Canal, which was completed in 1825 and stretched 363 miles across upstate.

The Holley DPW put this sign on a tree several years ago. There isn’t much fanfare noted this 2,000-foot long section is the only remaining piece of the original Erie Canal west of Rochester. It is just west of Bennetts Corners Road and east of the lift bridge.

Village and county officials have talked for several years about clearing out the original section of the Canal, thinking it would add to Holley’s park system and also be a tourist attraction.

The canal was widened and deepened from 1905 to 1918 as part of the expansion into the Barge Canal system.

A mild winter so far this year has freed up some county DPW and village DPW workers to work on clearing the canal section. They started clearing the canal bed on Tuesday. Here, Krull uses the excavator to carry a  toppled tree down the path to a pile of brush and trees.

Krull uses a chainsaw to get one of the trees ready for a takedown with the excavator.

Ryan Hill, an Orleans County DPW motor equipment operator, uses a mini excavator to removes some of the brush and small trees.

Ken Vendetti, an MEO with the Village of Holley DPW, uses the Bobcat to move some of the trees and brush into a big pile.

The original canal loop curved and veered towards the Public Square. The canal was later straightened near Holley. One section of that original loop remained and was never filled in.  Holley officials think it could be a bigger community asset once it’s cleared.

(Click here to see a video of excavator in action today at the canal loop.)

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Holley has only original section remaining west of Rochester

File photos from October 2015 by Tom Rivers: A small sign on a tree in a ditch in Holley notes that this was part of the original Erie Canal loop that meandered to the Public Square area of Holley.

HOLLEY – For several years it’s been talked about as a hidden gem in Holley, a potential tourism draw that can also enhance Holley’s trail system.

Today, the Orleans County Highway Department brought an excavator to Holley and started to clear out the only remaining original canal loop west of Rochester. The remaining original section of the canal is about 1,000 feet long. Trees have sprouted in the canal bed, as well as other heavy vegetation, including invasive plants.

Mayor Brian Sorochty credited former County Legislator George Bower of Holley for pressing the issue. Bower the past two years has urged Sorochty and the village to clear out the trees, brush and weeds from the canal bed, and make it a bigger asset for the community.

The Holley mayor thanked the county crew for working on the project as part of a shared service with the village.

Sorochty said the first goal is to get the canal bed cleaned out and the banks reformed. Longer-term he could see a pedestrian bridge with a display about the original canal loop. Perhaps the section could be rewatered with the canal supplying the water, Sorochty said.

This map displayed in the office of Dr. Dan Schiavone, shows the Holley Loop. It linked back to the canal just west of Bennetts Corners Road.

The original loop was created when the state veered the canal from a relatively straight line in 1823 due to the high banks and engineering challenge in dealing with Sandy Creek.

There was an unusually deep ravine formed by the east branch of Sandy Creek, which presented a difficult engineering problem for builders of the original Erie Canal in the early 1820s, according to display on the north side of the canal by the Holley lift bridge. The State Canal Corp. put up that display about “The Holley Loop.”

Rather than try to build the canal on the ravine, engineers opted to take a sharp turn near the current lift bridge and cross over a relatively narrow section of the creek.

“The sharp curve required boaters to slow down, which made a promising location for canal-oriented businesses,” according to the state display. “The Village of Holley grew at this bend in the canal.”

The canal was widened throughout the 363-mile-long system from 1905 to 1918 and much of the original canal was replaced by the wider and deeper canal.

But in Holley, some of the original remained because it wasn’t touched as part of the Barge Canal widening in the early 1900s.

The state in 1854-61, decided the original loop needed to be straightened out in Holley to create a shorter, more navigable waterway. A new section of the canal was built over a very high and long embankment.

“Because state law did not allow canal sections to be abandoned in villages or cities, the old loop was still used for several decades to serve local businesses,” according to the state display about the Holley Loop. “Canal traffic no longer stopped in the village, however, and eventually the loop was drained and eliminated. Traces of the original canal can still be seen east of the Public Square.”

The original canal bed has trees and lots of thick vegetation that will be cleared out.

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